WestEnd Films Names Former Pathe, StudioCanal Exec Head of Aquisitions, Development

Berenice Fugard will start her role at the London-based sales and financing banner in January.

London sales and financing banner WestEnd Films has appointed Berenice Fugard as head of acquisitions and development, starting in January.

Fugard was most recently senior vp at Fortissimo Films, and prior to that spent nine years at Pathe Distribution, handling the likes of The Blair Witch Project, Crash and Memento before moving to Paramount Vantage as vp acquisitions and co-productions and then to StudioCanal, where she led acquisitions of such films as Oscar-winning Searching for Sugar Man.

"We need to reinvent ourselves in a challenging marketplace, and Berenice will be the driving force behind that change: her great taste, expertise and relationships will make WestEnd the ambitious player that finances and sells but also develops and produces quality commercial projects” said WestEnd managing directors Eve Schoukroun and Maya Amsellem.

WestEnd currently has a slate that includes apartheid-era drama Shepherds and Butchers, starring Steve Coogan; Rooney Mara-toplined Una (formerly Blackbird); ballet doc Dancer from Steven Cantor; Western By Way of Helena, starringWoody Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth; and Cannes-bowing Balkan War dramedy A Perfect Day, starring Benicio Del Toro and Tim Robbins.